And when the Chamberlain cloud service is down?
I can see usefulness in a WiFi garage door opener.
I just don't get the WiFi toaster and toilet. rofl
I can see usefulness in a WiFi garage door opener. I just don't get the WiFi toaster and toilet. roflI had never thought of combining a toaster with a toilet. What a great idea. Just put that puppy in front of my fridge/TV/cell phone and I'm set.
Is it just a toaster on the toilet, or is it more like a toaster/oven?
.... I had never thought of combining a toaster with a toilet. What a great idea.
HA Dave
Back in late 80's or early 90's, before Windows had a speech engine, I used a MAC SE running "XTension" for verbal announcements triggered by X10 PLC commands. ....... One example ........ was the bar code inventory system. Mike was using the old Radio Shark, free bar code scanner called "CueCat" to read the bar code of every grocery, sundry, etc. consumable item they used on their Florida ranch.......
I read somewhere (I should remember where) that the home automation products (light switches and modules) used with the Chamberlain MyQ system is "Wink" (http://www.wink.com/products/#) products. Does anyone know anything about this?
...... Wink is primarily a hub that does Bluetooth, Z-Wave®, ZigBee®, Wi-Fi® and Lutron ClearConnect. Whether it communicates directly with devices or only through other hubs that, in turn, communicate with their specific devices is unclear.
Most early reviews of MyQ from early 2014 were extremely negative saying it did not integrate with anything and that all communication had to pass through chamberlain.com.
Similarly, Amazon customers have been highly critical of Wink.
http://www.cepro.com/article/amid_poor_reviews_amazon_puts_wink_home_automation_under_review/ (http://www.cepro.com/article/amid_poor_reviews_amazon_puts_wink_home_automation_under_review/)
I have two major concerns with things like these. We've all seen the consequences of the X10 servers going bye-bye so should be leery of anything which ties us to particular servers. And, I worry about what is the purpose of such remote servers collecting data about the homeowners presence/absence, habits, etc.
YMMV
There is too much there, there..... to avoid the Internet/wifi connectivity.
I would guess... X10 will remain the overwhelmingly largest part of my setup.Yep, I join you in that sentiment. Besides, X10 is a continual mind challange for this old geezer. "Darn, why didn't the outside lights go on tonight? They worked last night." And away we go chasing a new sucker or source. :)% :)% :)%
Earlier Chamberlain garage door remotes and indicators (mercury switch mounted on door) used 312MHz.....
A WP article addresses the issue of compatibility.
I've thought (for sometime now)... that the ultimate automated smart home.... will be more program-controlled than human controlled. "The unified program"... that controls the various array of programs used on our computer devices should put it all together. Is anyone coding that app yet?I can understand the desire for "The unified program". Almost 15 years ago I designed the BX24-AHT which interconnected most of the HA systems then available. And, I wrote Windows 98 software for it. I compared it to a switchboard, joked that I considered calling it Ernestine and coined the phrase if this then that long before it became a thing. But that was before the cell phone & WiFi became ubiquitous and before USB and LAN displaced RS232 as the most common wired connection for HA devices. http://davehouston.org/files.htm (http://davehouston.org/files.htm)
I've thought (for sometime now)... that the ultimate automated smart home.... will be more program-controlled than human controlled. "The unified program"... that controls the various array of programs used on our computer devices should put it all together. Is anyone coding that app yet?This was the idea behind PC Companion (PCC)
it's not in the (self)interest of the manufacturers to integrate their competitors system/devices and the proliferation of different systems (and interfaces) makes it much harder (and costlier) for someone like Tuicemen to offer such an integrative app . The speed at which new systems/devices/interfaces displace established norms also complicates life for the amateur developer.
....... it's not in the (self)interest of the manufacturers to integrate their competitors system/devices and the proliferation of different systems (and interfaces) .....
Yet... they're already doing it... and GE is leading the way with compatible devices that share the WiFi enabled hubs.
Yet... they're already doing it... and GE is leading the way with compatible devices that share the WiFi enabled hubs.
Are you sure about that? To me, it appears that it's Wink leading the way...
Yep! Wink, Quirky, Z-wave........... it's all under the direct leadership of GE, IMHO.
Link Hub
Works ONLY with GE Link bulbs